In Search of St. Honore

Have you ever seen the movie Under the Tuscan Sun? I really enjoy that film and all of its beautiful Italian scenery. One of my favorite parts is when Diane Lane's character receives a statue of St. Lawrence, the patron saint of cooks, for Christmas. I love that statue and wondered if I could find one for myself. After searching for many months, I did finally find an exact duplicate of the statue seen in the movie. I bought it and keep St. Lawrence in my kitchen over the sink where I can look at him often.

When I got the idea for Honore Baking, I wanted to find a similar statue of St. Honore to take up residence in my kitchen with St. Lawrence. I searched high and low but to no avail. I couldn't find a statue of St. Honore anywhere. Sigh.

St. Honore dolls made by Saintly Silver.

Last fall, I came across a post by Bridget Edwards of Bake at 350 about some absolutely darling cookies of saints and other religious figures that Bridget had created. Bridget's inspiration for her cookies came from the most wonderful soft dolls that she had found on Etsy in a shop called Saintly Silver. I wondered if I could find a St. Honore doll so I navigated over to the Saintly Silver shop on Etsy. Searching through the offerings, I was thrilled to find not one but two different St. Honore soft dolls. I bought one of each and here they are.

I just love these dolls. They are hand made works of art. One of the things I love most is that the back of each doll bears the following prayer:

"Lord Jesus Christ, you live and are king forever. Bread of angels, Bread of everlasting life, be so kind to bless my work that my bread may nourish the body, and mind of my patrons, and that I will be an example of your love which will nourish their soul and lead them to you. Amen"